Starlight
by Sahloknir
Summary: After the battle in Sovngarde ended with the Dragonborn's victory and Alduin's demise it had not been the final time in which the two would meet. Punished by Akatosh for abusing his power, the now mortal Alduin is turned from scale to flesh and must regain his father's favor under the dovahkiin's watchful gaze in order to return to his side. [ human!Alduin & fem!Dragonborn ]
1. Rebirth

**CHAPTER ONE: REBIRTH**

"Born amidst ash and flame, your heart made of starlight and your body of dust. Today you will not return to your beginning beast, you are needed still."

* * *

The world burned and smelled of bitter ashes, the lovely and terrifying perfume of war.

The purple of the otherworldly sky faded with the darkness and with the vanishing light of Sovngarde came the coldness of a never ending night. With the encroaching black the thoughts of the old heroes began to fade yet one burned bright from within that shade. Images of her pale eyes gleaming with prideful delight, that wicked sin that had been his doomed moments last sight, bloomed from within the black just to taunt him. How dare she win when she had been nothing more than a fake painted pretty with lies of calling herself a dovah. How dare she end what had been his, how dare she be triumphant over the World-Eater, Akatosh's first!

How dare she stand there still with stolen air in her lungs as his world burned to ash.

As the blessed body of the dragon bathed in black ceased its existence the monster's reign of terror ebbed away with each part of its being that turned to cold embers. His heart's terror betrayed him as he called to the sky hoping that something, anyone, would stop this madness. He had not been some foolish mortal who had fallen to the hands of weaker vermin, no, he had been his Father's first and would always rule with that title. It was his almighty right to do so and this act, here and now, had been nothing more than trickery. He held the belief that the deceivers would pay most certainly if his plea had been loud enough. But as the beast's body turned to nothingness it became ever clearer that not only had he been forsaken by this foolish mortal but by his own father as well and it all seemed to make the torment last in itself that much longer. Wether or not the anger in his heart had come from the realization that he had been abandoned or the fact his final moments had been spent in terror had been lost to him. At this point he was more angry than defeated.

"Zu'u unslaad! Zu'u nis oblaan!" the words slipped through with bitter backlash as his final moments began to dissolve completely. But before he could disappear entirely, however, a final curse had been asserted upon the creature with the pale eyes.

"Grik pahlok! Such arrogance! If you believe this to be the end of me then you believe wrong! I shall return and make your soul mine as it should have been from the start."

Maddening had been his cries yet in time they stopped. The dragon of black dissolved completely leaving nothing, not even a single trace of ash behind to serve as a reminder of what had once been. It was a victory but a peculiar victory. It didn't feel like it should have and it had caused a bit of grief within the last living dovahkiin. Though no words passed through her lips the unsung thoughts painted themselves across her face, across the jagged pale pink scars and war paint of deep red, and riddled the pale eyes with many perplexing shadows.

Within time Alduin's cries had faded from the battlefield and as his body dispersed into the sky the eyes of warriors long since passed watched their debt be paid in full. Soon the victory settled in and as their hearts swelled with pride and their lungs filled with air their own cries of joy echoed throughout the heliotrope painted realm. But there was nothing more than silence for the pale eyed creature now. It was a heavy, ash-tasting silence that rung empty.

"When you are ready to rejoin the living," said the titan of a man who stood beside the ancient heroes, his eyes watching the creature before him. "just bid me so, and I will send you back."

There were no words needed, not even a single utter, for one look had all that it had taken for the Dragonborn to agree to his proposal. As silent as ever the tired hero had left leaving cheering victors of old behind and as happy farewells had shattered the silence a golden light caressed the battle-worn body covering the creature in a lovely, warm glow. Within seconds the tenderness faded leaving a cold chill in its wake and as the gold fell away the sight of icy winds was all that there was to see. The cold racked her heart yet still she stood vigilant, her pale eyes watching the gray horizon only to reveal the many scaled beasts who called out to the never ending gray. The dragons hummed the name of their lost brother in a wistful, sad way as a dirge for what had no longer been.

"So it is done," Paarthurnax began with a certain sadness in his voice, the sound of the dragons chanting a haunting melody as he had spoken to her resonated deep within her soul. "Alduin dilon. The eldest is no more, he who came before others, and has always been."

There were no words to say, nothing. Instead she stood silent as she had done before reflecting upon what it was that had happened. The victory held a bitter spite, it's taste defiling what sweet joy should have been, and in this foul flavor an empty hunger begged for an answer that would not come.

"I am sorry," she finally stated after the dragon and the woman stared at one another. "But it needed to be done."

There was a light pause, the other dragon's continuing their lament.

"Geh Fahdon, and so it did."

His words were empty and as the other dragons circled around there was a new feeling now, a sudden shift in the air, that had made the Dragonborn veer to the side uncomfortably. Paarthurnax lifted to the air yet this had not been the cause for the deep unsettlement within her heart. It was a deeper, darker shift somewhere far away and in her confusion the creature turned to look try and find it. But again she could not see it and instead found herself staring at a familiar dragon of scarlet scales and dark eyes.

"So you have proven yourself twice over," Odahviing spoke in a proud manner. "I gladly acknowledge the power of your Thu'um."

The Dragonborn stood vigilantly, her pale eyes staring through the dark wisps of her hair as the winter winds passed through it.

"Call me when you are in need and I will come when I can."

Nodding to the great scarlet beast she simply stood upon her spot as he took to the skies with a great flap of his wings. The other dragons joined high above and beneath the starlight the creatures glimmered as they continued their lament. There was still that feeling that lay within her heart and though it would never be uttered the Dragonborn found herself become restless to leave. So without more to say the woman began her descent downward, the dragons singing their sorrows all the way through.

A beautiful, sad thing that so few would ever know.

At the bottom of the mountain in the little town of Ivarstead a peculiar phenomenon began. Near the broken and tattered home across the flowing water a beautiful light glowed from within, the purple spilling through the cracks and blooming gently.

Inside the broken shack a man of cold flesh lay on the ground, the black of his hair matted against his skin. His fingers touched the cold of the wood and light wisps of warm breath slipped through his lips. The rise and fall of his chest made a soft humming sound as the light faded as he came to be entirely.

"W-who?" spoke the man in rags just off to the side as his dark eyes scanned the naked man who lay upon his floor. The purple of the light blinded him and in his confusion he had woken to find another in his home.

The old wooden floor creaked as the sleeping man shifted, his eyes darting back and forth as he had slowly began to wake. As consciousness became his the edges of his jaw tightened, his knuckles became white with tension as he stirred further.

"Dragonborn." the man upon the ground hissed, the other confused more than ever by the words. The silence ebbed and flowed gently and the light creaking of the boards beneath the man's shifting weight as he lifted upward made a harsh cut into the quiet.

Yet in that quietness of the silence, the gentle notion of the still, the eyes of scarlet opened wide and flared with a deep burning anger.

"Where is the she?" he demanded in a furious tone once more. "Where is the Dragonborn?"

But all the poor man could do was cower before the other as his anger burned. Unbeknownst to him he had now been in the presence of the World-Eater, a once-dragon now mortal. Scales traded for flesh, horns now hair, a cruel punishment from a father unhappy with his child. Alduin asked for his help and here it was in the form of a mortal man.

And all Alduin could feel was anger and a bit of a chill from the cold night wind.


	2. Convergence

**CHAPTER TWO: CONVERGENCE  
**

"We are but two halves of one whole. Inevitable to always find one another no matter where our hearts lead us."

* * *

All through the night the Dragonborn had descended from the surreal grasps of what had been the heavens and made her way back to the solid being of Nirn. Between the ending of what had plagued Skyrim and the feeling of what had bloomed because of it kept the female from truly returning to normal. Perhaps it was her visit to the afterlife or perhaps it was the fact Alduin had finally been defeated but something had made her feel peculiar, almost as if something of herself had been cut into two. One couldn't have truly said but she knew, she could feel it within the ebb and flow of her very soul.

But with the coming of the daylight signaled the need for rest and she knew the very moment she had stepped foot into Ivarstead a room would be rented to catch up upon much needed relaxation. After that she would set to work in finding her companion who she had parted ways with just prior to the final events of their journey and perhaps from there travel home. As far as the rest of the future was concerned it was to be without limits and to be as open ended as possible for she had earned it.

It was her chance to finally enjoy what had been gambled and won.

It was then the dovahkiin had noticed it, her starlit eyes catching it just off in the distance. Pausing momentarily upon the last and final step of her descent the pretty thing watched from across the bridge as a few of the little village's residents had fled toward a certain direction. There were screams that had followed, the sound terrifying against the hum of nature, and for a moment she had pondered what could have been the threat. In truth it could have been anything and though not fully relishing the thought of getting caught up in yet another event after having finished with one so soon the woman quickly readied herself regardless and headed forward to investigate. It was times like these she had wished herself capable of truly ignoring the most dire of things.

With each careful step she moved in, her eyes scanning each and every corner vigilantly should something have sprung out and though the world seemed still something shook it. It made the strings of her soul tighten and her heart stand on edge. As peculiar as it had been however she felt drawn to whatever lay hidden.

Passing the small farm to the heart of what made up the tiny little place she curiously found herself alone in spite of what had been seen and felt. It troubled the woman briefly as she let herself soften for a moment, her body no longer as tense as her eyes caught the shadow of a bird that flew through the autumn forest. The golden leaves stood still as the sun's light bloomed through them, the shadow painting the gold amber as the feathered creature passed overhead. It was agreed that this world had been beautiful and it deserved to live strong.

"Run, run for your life!" the words were shouted so furiously that the Dragonborn quickly turned to catch sight of a Bosmer running toward her, his dark eyes were terror stricken as he rushed forward. The sharp features of the mer were twisted in such a way that it made her gape for a moment. It was clear that whatever it was causing such grief must have been truly horrible to make such a man flee so eagerly.

"Hold," she said as she reached outward and put herself between the wood elf and his well-sought freedom. "for what reason is it that you run?"

The Bosmer merely panicked in his spot as he tried to search for his words and a way around the woman. The pale eyes met his with such an intensity that he cowered slightly, his voice betraying him as a light noise escaped his dark lips. At this point in time he couldn't tell if he was running in a better direction or not but feared what should have happened if he failed to respond in time. "Y-you haven't heard?"

Furrowing her brows and cocking her head to the side she found herself even more at a loss. "No, but indulge me, won't you?"

"There's a man," the male began as he turned slightly to look behind them, checking to make sure they were still safe before returning his eyes to her. "a behemoth of one. He's running around in the nude and breaking down people's doors, saying all these crazy things. I've never seen such a big guy run so fast!"

The more the words came out the more unbelievable it had been. The woman's eyes fell to the ground as he continued to speak, her thoughts trying to digest what all of this had meant. Her eyes returned to him then, the fierceness of the silvery-white staring straight through the warm orange. "Does he say anything in particular, or repeat anything specific?"

"It's mostly the same thing over and over again." he answered then as he looked toward the river trying to ignore her stare. "I-I can't really repeat it, it's in another language but it's something like Dolah? Or Doah? I don't really know, I'm sorry."

Feeling a bit astonished she curiously found herself mentally saying the word to herself.

_"Dovahkiin!"_

Suddenly the mention of her title caused her to look upward and in almost an instant she grabbed the mer before her and quickly tossed him to the side. There was a light scream but ultimately she had ignored it as her hands reached for her blade and though she tried to be quick it had ultimately proved futile. In such an instant their bodies had met and clashed with such a force that they fell to the ground upon one another, the woman struggling beneath the others weight. The deep red of his eyes burned into her own as he held her still while the sound of the elf running in fear drowned out her grunts.

"Mortal, look what you have done!" the male spat at her as he gathered her arms in his hands. "Your foolish ignorance has turned me into this weak, sloven thing! I should end you now while I have the chance to."

Beneath the man the woman stared at him, his face familiar but not. Her soft features were twisted in such a way that she appeared savage and with the added weight upon her she couldn't help but to struggle to breath giving her a flushed face. Both were just as angry as the other and equally as confused.

"Go ahead, kill me," she grunted with the same spite as he had used. "But do not blame me for something I couldn't have done. Besides, how could I have done anything to you if I've no idea who you even are?"

There was a sudden rage that surged through him causing her to stiffen. "Do not know me? Of course you do, _Dragonborn_, look upon me and remember how you ended my proud reign. Look me in the eye and tell me how you thrust your blade through my very heart and stole my father's favor. Tell me how proud you are that you stole my immortality for this."

For a moment as the pale eyed woman stilled beneath the unknown man she heeded his words, her eyes focusing upon him as the word settled upon her tongue. As hard as it was to acknowledge what she was about to say she felt she had to. "Alduin?"

"Precisely."

Somewhere within her soul she could feel it, she could feel the truth ebb and flow like water. But as there was no possible way that he could have been whom he claimed himself to be the Dragonborn's brows furrowed with doubt.

"You wish for me to believe this? He was a dragon and now he is dead, his body burned away in Sovngarde the moment he fell. There is no possi-"

"I am immortal," he roared then as his grip tightened around the woman's wrists causing her to flinch slightly. "I cannot die!"

She found herself studying his features then the second his words had stopped. They were fearsome and sharp beneath the ebony hair and the deep scarlet of his eyes swirled with such a hatred it could have struck fear in even the proudest of men. Admittedly there was a certain familiarity in his eyes but beyond that she still felt unsure. However she also felt that if she had doubted it any further it probably wouldn't have been for the best.

"Fine," the Dragonborn began as she continued to stare up at him. "What if you are? Why aren't you gone like I had intended with that strike?"

If he hadn't been so angry he would have laughed at her for her ignorance. "Akatosh has sent me to this wretch of a world as punishment. The fool wishes me to learn my place before I may be allowed back at his side and to top it all off it must be you who assists with this foolish task."

It was then she found herself furrowing her brows once more. She could hardly believe these words and the more real they felt the angrier she found herself. "Me? What did I do to deserve this punishment? It was your own ignorance that had caused this and I find it hard to believe it must be me who helps you out of it. Now release me so I can be on my way."

"Do you honestly fool yourself with the notion that _I_ enjoy this?" he growled then. "Look."

Suddenly he released her arms and after what had seemed like an eternity she propped herself upon her elbows. The woman's eyes watched as he pointed at a peculiar marking near his chest and she noticed the darkness of it. She couldn't place the symbol but she had noted the importance of it regardless. She had also remembered the lack of clothes upon him and inwardly regretted getting herself stuck in the middle of everything.

"This is where you had struck me." he said with a deep hint of anger. She merely held her tongue, her eyes studying it further as she wondered what exactly this had meant. However she suddenly began to squirm again as he reached forward and began to remove the fur and leather that had covered her.

"How dare you!" The Dragonborn hissed as she continued to struggle beneath him. He told her to be quiet as he continued and though she made sure to make it hard for him he had succeeded in removing the clothes just enough to show her what he wished to make apparent.

"And in consequence this marking binds you to me."

The once-dragon removed his hands and she sat up once more, her eyes staring downward to the top of her chest. There, right above her left breast in the exact same spot that had been upon him, the black marking made itself apparent. She could hardly believe it but there it was as real as the day.

There was a sudden silence that had settled in then and though she looked away she could feel his eyes upon her. If this was true, if this was really what was to be the next step in her journey, the Dragonborn couldn't help to accept it. In some ways it made her feel complete again but for better reasons she wouldn't say anything. The woman could only imagine what words would have flown out of him if she had.

"Stop, you're under arrest!"

Suddenly the two looked to the side and found themselves at the mercy of a few guards and their blades. The Dragonborn stared upward and found herself shaking her head as Alduin spoke cruel words to them pertaining to "mortal" and "ignorance" as these had clearly been his favorite words.

If this had been a real crime their arrival would have been exceptionally late and pointless.


	3. Crestfallen

**CHAPTER THREE: CRESTFALLEN  
**

"There were things words could do but there were many things words could not."

* * *

"Unbind me, I demand you! Release me from these degrading chains at once!"

The words were shouted with such ferocity it made the crows fly from their perch in spite of the voice's beholder being beneath two layers of stone. The man of dark hair had thought that if he shouted until his lungs had burst his captors would obey and with this mindset firmly in place he had continued his little rant. Unfortunately Ivarstead's guard quarters were only so big and in consequence had only one small, little cell for both prisoners to share. There was a certain damp coldness to the air and a smell strikingly identical to moss that had made the man shudder and growl an exasperated sigh in between shouts.

However the most infuriating thing about this all had been for the fact they had ignored him just as Akatosh had and though unwillingly to admit anything of the sort, it made a small string of fear set his blood aflame.

"Would you shut up in there?" the only guard in the room had said with a deeply set annoyance causing Alduin to only move toward the bars closer while responding in a peculiar sound of sharp, ugly words that the woman had presumed was Dovah. A harsh scowl then formed the Dragonborn's soft features into a sour frown the more she watched the two interact. Oh how she wished she hadn't returned from Sovngarde that night, oh how she wished she never came back to Skyrim in the first place.

"Arrogant mortal," Alduin answered with a dark anger then after his momentary act of stupidity. "do you think your words will quiet me? I will find a way out of these binds, end your pathetic attempt at tyranny myself and humb-"

"Yeah, yeah, you will "humble my pride". Like I hadn't heard that one before. Now would you shut up? You're giving me a headache."

The cell's bars had been the only thing keeping the once-dragon from flying over to the sitting man and fully throttling him. From her perch upon the lone cold bed the Dragonborn could see Alduin's face turn from utter annoyance to such hatred that the red of his flushed face practically glowed. If the woman hadn't found herself in the same situation and hated it as much as the man of sharp ebony had, she would have found a little amusement out of this.

But of course, there was only so much amusement to be had when there was so little of it.

In time the room had fallen silent and though grateful for a moment to herself the woman found her thoughts trailing away then. There was a vague realization that though it would soon be the fifth anniversary since leaving High Rock it had hardly felt like much of a journey. Certainly her travels had taken her all over Tamriel and back again but in truth there had been things missing from it that the old stories hadn't spoken of. What it had been had been lost to the creature of silver, much to her disappointment.

Vaguely her thoughts trailed to her grandfather then and his stories of old. Stories of what pre-war Skyrim had been like and the rest of Tamriel. As a girl his stories would simply amaze her and she vowed that one day she too would travel to their homeland and though doing just that it seemed as if it didn't quite live up to all the magical things that he had spoken of. Whether or not this feeling was just magic used to entice children or the fact something really was missing was lost to her. But what had been known was that though there should have been a fulfilling feeling it only made her heart heavy. Heavier than it should have been since this was all that she had ever wanted in life; to travel and be free.

Something that this moment had been quite the opposite of in fact.

The quietness made the day long and ever so slowly things passed by. For most of the session both the Dragonborn and Alduin kept to their respective stations with the bright-eyed woman being on the bed and her male companion standing in the nude at the cell door causing most guards that had entered the building to either sneer or gawk. Fortunately Alduin had been ignorant to the concept of clothing otherwise the guard on duty would never had found a moment of silence. However ex-dragon or not he would need clothes one day and one day probably soon. In direct consequence of these new thoughts the Dragonborn prayed to the Divines that it wouldn't be too much of a struggle to get him dressed. But for some reason the pretty thing couldn't help but to relinquish her prayers for the moment as they were the ones who had put her in this predicament in the first place.

But then it hit her: _why_ was she here?

The woman's brows had knotted together with a sudden realization and wonder as to why she had also been in jail. It's not like she had been the one who had been running around in the nude breaking down doors, right? And even prior to that what had been her crimes? Nothing, not even bad mouthing a guard behind his back. So in all truth and reality her also being behind bars had hardly made any sense. Perhaps her only crime had been not realizing the danger of what getting herself into trouble had caused.

But regardless the woman quickly got to her feet and forwarded herself to the bars causing a brief glance from Alduin to be thrown at her. The pale eyes grew cold as lips the color of apples had hardened into a firm line, her heart thumping within it's cage like a wild animal. "I'm curious," the Dragonborn began while wrapping her slender fingers around the cold steel. "what did I do to find myself in your "care"?"

Without a single beat missed the man at his desk had replied. "For committing crimes against Skyrim."

The woman's brows furrowed together even further causing the vermillion of her face paint to twist in such a way that it had appeared as if it were crudely drawn onto her by a child. "Yes, I had gathered that much from behind these bars but again, what did I do that has angered everyone?"

At this point the guard had become just as annoyed as she had been but for the lack of anything better he had indulged her. "There have been reports of the Dragonborn breaking and entering people's homes, stealing all of their fresh produce, specifically tomatoes, and then brutally murdering the tenants after the break and entry. I don't know what kind of sick person does that but it is my duty to prevent things like that from happening therefor it is my duty to put _you_ in _my_ "care" since you, after all, are Dragonborn."

There was a moment of pure disbelief that had caused the woman to completely lose herself. This couldn't have been true, not even in the slightest, as going into people's homes with or without permission had been on the bottom of her to-do list. That and she could barely take extra gold from the shop vendors when they had given her too much! This had to have been a mistake as there was no other possible way.

"And you only believe it to be the Dragonborn, or do you have proof?"

Suddenly the man had lifted to his feet and brought some paper to the prisoners to show them. There were many words written upon it, only some she could quickly catch a glimpse of, before he quickly turned it back around to read aloud.

"Caution: a sinister act of violence has been discovered near Markarth. Identical to three other acts of terror, a bloody discovery of a family who had been robbed of their lives is only but the least of Skyrim's worries. The murderer, Dragonborn, has left behind a note at all four crime scenes claiming that they had committed the crime and will continue to commit crimes if not subdued."

There was a momentary pause as the guard looked upward from his paper to the woman who had stared at him fiercely in spite of her increasingly paling complexion. "What kind of sick person does that to an innocent family let alone three more? And then take their hard-earned tomatoes? If it hadn't been for your friend over here yelling your name, we would have never had found you. You go to the chopping block within the week to pay for your crimes."

And then there it was, the countdown until her death.

Standing there, bewildered and wide-eyed, the lady of starlight found herself going weak at the knees. It had been rare for a creature of such steel to feel such a moment of intense hopelessness but here and now she had been utterly lost. Was this really how it was meant to end? To be beheaded like she had been meant to all those months ago? Just earlier that day thoughts of returning home had made her feel comfort and yet here and now they made her stomach twist. She would never get to see home again, the very thing she fought so hard to save, and never get to see her companion whose goodbye was cut so short. The slender fingers fell from the cold as the reality of this world sunk in hard.

After everything, this is how it would end.

"This woman is mine, you will not touch her." Alduin interjected then causing the guard to turn his attention to the man whose hands wrapped tightly around the cold steel. There was a brief moment of silence as the two had stared at one another. If this entire moment hadn't been so dire it would have been strangely funny to think that Alduin would have been present for both times but this time he had no power to stop it from happening.

"She's to pay for her crimes. You, on the other hand, may go free within the next day after you have paid for yours. But let me make myself clear: don't be breaking down people's doors, and get some clothes."

But before the once-dragon could find his rage once more a light hand had touched his bare shoulder only causing it to tense before it slid away. His eyes had burned into the back of the guard's helmet as he turned to find his seat leaving the two prisoners in silence once more. Regardless of whatever words he would have found within his soul they would have been rendered useless as any more speaking would only dig them a deeper grave. The silence hung with such a dismal feeling the smell of cold, damp moss made for a more comforting touch. Slowly the Dragonborn returned to her perch leaving Alduin alone at the bars. Outside the sound of crows calling to one another made for a bitter reminder of what freedom had not been theirs.

And, unfortunately, what journey to make Alduin a dragon once more seem impossible.


End file.
